The 2020 Garden, Landscape, and Other Stuff Thread...

[taldesta]

Planters are emptied - shutters are off windows and stacked for next spring - all need painting. Snow, white landscape ... on the way but for now, the weather is absolutely, unseasonably warm, dry and sunny

 

[22-rimfire]

Planters are emptied - shutters are off windows and stacked for next spring - all need painting. Snow, white landscape ... on the way but for now, the weather is absolutely, unseasonably warm, dry and sunny

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It's a great time of the year. Pushing winter weather forward a bit is a good thing to me. But I enjoy the snow..... for short periods.

I had a good day in the Smoky's on Thursday. It was 39*F when I arrived. The day was sunny and very pleasant. It wasn't a great day for wildlife, but I enjoy all my days there regardless. I just enjoy being out. It provides me with an opportunity to socialize a little on stuff that interests me. I'm not much of a people person, so this virus thing hasn't really cramped my style much once the Parks were open for public use.

I saw one bear that I had an opportunity to photograph in a nice setting and I didn't screw it up. It was feeding on acorns out in the woods distant from the roads. Hence I was alone with the bear for about 45 minutes watching and taking pictures. My brother saw the one picture I posted on facebook and asked if he can use it for an article on bear season that he is writing for a magazine/periodical. My response.... use it for whatever you like. I am no pro photographer. Here is what it looked like there.

 

[taldesta]

Gosh 22-rimfire , don't think my bridge-out pic in my second to last post was actually garden related either, but I snuck it in under "... and other stuff" in the thread title. My sense is that all us yard folk are keen observers of nature and it hardly stops at begonias or hummingbirds

So, lovely landscape in the Smokys. Let's see a bear pic you didn't screw up posted right here in the "... and other stuff" thread, if I may be so bold to ask?

 

[22-rimfire]

Your wish is my command. This is a small bear.

The Park (contractor) is working on replacing or repairing a bridge there but I didn't take a picture of that. I however understand perfectly how replacing a bridge in a route you have to travel and saves time is a big deal for you. Saves time generally means saving $ on fuel.

 

[taldesta]

... and a beautiful, healthy young bear you've captured here - thanks for posting I'm calling it "Fluffy"

 

[22-rimfire]

Gosh 22-rimfire , don't think my bridge-out pic in my second to last post was actually garden related either, but I snuck it in under "... and other stuff" in the thread title. My sense is that all us yard folk are keen observers of nature and it hardly stops at begonias or hummingbirds

So, lovely landscape in the Smokys. Let's see a bear pic you didn't screw up posted right here in the "... and other stuff" thread, if I may be so bold to ask?

Next year, we definitely need "the other stuff" as part of this garden thread. My thief step mother died this past week while I was in the Smoky's. Can't say I'll miss her. She was 90.

As most of you know, I love the Smoky Mountains. It's heaven on earth!

 

[taldesta]

Yup, other stuff sneaks in and makes for an intriguing conversation at times and there's a lot to be said about moments we spend in our own heaven on earth with bears and deer. Glad you had this trip this fall.

90 - some are sweet and some need more sugar; and advancing years seem to accentuate the nature of people. I am just re-watching 'Grumpy Old Men' and 'Grumpier Old Men' and find the 94/95 year old dad played by Burgess Meredith to be absolutely priceless.

November 9th and beautiful sunny warm days in the garden here. Weather helps as I still have a lot of battening down to do. Mower battery is already taken in the house for over winter but the mower and a few other items in the tarp shed need to be individually tarped because the big 24 x 30 tarp 'roof' is coming down to be stored. I don't want to have to clear the snow off the tarp shed or replace its roof after the winter winds have shredded it. Been there.

Snowblower started right off the bat today ... oil is good and it's gassed up. It's acting a little odd when shifting ... thinks first forward is reverse! Note to self ... remember this quirk.

For thread content I will add that the pansies have never looked better!

 

[22-rimfire]

I'm still mowing the yard about weekly now with the recent rains. Gives me an excuse to grind up the fallen leaves.

Here at the house, the leaves are rapidly changing now. Things are a little later than in the mountains where you have elevation factors. The red oaks are beginning to show their colors and I find them stunning! (Guess that's why they call them "red oaks".) Hickory (which are a common woods tree here) are turning their yellow quickly. Their leaves will be dropping in about a week and the red oaks will simply turn brown and mostly stay on the trees until spring (or is it the White Oaks that hold their leaves?).

 

[JB in SC]

I'm still mowing the yard about weekly now with the recent rains. Gives me an excuse to grind up the fallen leaves.

Here at the house, the leaves are rapidly changing now. Things are a little later than in the mountains where you have elevation factors. The red oaks are beginning to show their colors and I find them stunning! (Guess that's why they call them "red oaks".) Hickory (which are a common woods tree here) are turning their yellow quickly. Their leaves will be dropping in about a week and the red oaks will simply turn brown and mostly stay on the trees until spring (or is it the White Oaks that hold their leaves?).

I was in the Chauga and Chattooga area Sunday. Trees have finally turned, my hickory in the yard is a brilliant yellow. Big mast crop this year. Looks like the weather will be rainy the rest of the week, sure was nice for a while. Caught a few brookies on a tiny stream, nice colors but they are alway small.

 

[22-rimfire]

I was in the Chauga and Chattooga area Sunday. Trees have finally turned, my hickory in the yard is a brilliant yellow. Big mast crop this year. Looks like the weather will be rainy the rest of the week, sure was nice for a while. Caught a few brookies on a tiny stream, nice colors but they are alway small.

That's living! You using flies, bait, or spinners? Hard to beat a day out in the mountains on a brookie stream especially when they are hitting.

Some friends of my Sisters were planning a Smoky Mt visit this week and saw the forcast... rain. Well, it isn't likely to rain every day or all day long.... I suspect they didn't want to go very badly. Maybe this next tropical storm will push north enough to hit the mountains and bring some more rain?

 

[JB in SC]

That's living! You using flies, bait, or spinners? Hard to beat a day out in the mountains on a brookie stream especially when they are hitting.

Some friends of my Sisters were planning a Smoky Mt visit this week and saw the forcast... rain. Well, it isn't likely to rain every day or all day long.... I suspect they didn't want to go very badly. Maybe this next tropical storm will push north enough to hit the mountains and bring some more rain?

I used single hook spinners, Daiwa Silver Creek 4 gram. One of my fly fishing buddies told me a native Brookie won’t hit a spinner, I laughed.

I loved fly fishing, but I don’t feel comfortable wading anymore (I fish alone) and my eyesight isn’t great. The streams are so small getting in the water spooks them for hours. These are all native fish transplanted from the Joyce Kilmer Wilderness. The DNR removed all the rainbows and browns and put barriers to keep them out. There are only a few streams all above 2500 ft.

 

[22-rimfire]

I used single hook spinners, Daiwa Silver Creek 4 gram. One of my fly fishing buddies told me a native Brookie won’t hit a spinner, I laughed.

I loved fly fishing, but I don’t feel comfortable wading anymore (I fish alone) and my eyesight isn’t great. The streams are so small getting in the water spooks them for hours. These are all native fish transplanted from the Joyce Kilmer Wilderness. The DNR removed all the rainbows and browns and put barriers to keep them out. There are only a few streams all above 2500 ft.

Unless you are required to use single hooks, go with the normal trebles. Trout tend to inhale a single hook spinner and you get more dead fish (harder to hook too). I do catch & release, so I don't like to hook them bad if I can help it. Bass Pro sells a pretty good spinner (their own brand) for trout that is a bit less expensive than the name brands. Picture below of their Mepps like spinner that I like.



My brother catches thousands of trout per year on spinners including native brookies. Spinners work great as long as someone didn't disturb the water ahead of you.

 

[annr]

I will add that the pansies have never looked better!

Yes, mine re-emerged after the 4" of snow, and the strawberries are still ripening too. Who knew?

 

[drj211]

The Satsumas are starting to come in! The tropical storm is over us now, but looks like not enough wind to knock the fruit down.

 

[annr]

Yes, mine re-emerged after the 4" of snow, and the strawberries are still ripening too. Who knew?

And so did the critters! They like digging in the pansies and of course munching the berries.

 

[JB in SC]

And so did the critters! They like digging in the pansies and of course munching the berries.

The squirrels have gone nuts ...digging like no tomorrow (maybe they're right)

 

[22-rimfire]

The squirrels have gone nuts ...digging like no tomorrow (maybe they're right)

Who needs to aerate your yard when you have hickory and oak trees in your yard? Lots of bury holes.

Added: A couple yard pictures. Camellia, Pimento Peppers, False Variegated Solomon's Seal.

 

[JB in SC]

22-rimfire

That’s the truth

Since the groundhogs have been removed, the squirrels think they’re in charge. My hickory went from bright yellow on Sunday to dead brown by Wednesday. My camellias are doing okay, they take spells (as my grandmother used to say).

 

[NCCNC]

Where you at in the smokeys?

Your wish is my command. This is a small bear.
View attachment 1451183
The Park (contractor) is working on replacing or repairing a bridge there but I didn't take a picture of that. I however understand perfectly how replacing a bridge in a route you have to travel and saves time is a big deal for you. Saves time generally means saving $ on fuel.

 

[22-rimfire]

Where you at in the smokeys?

Yeah, I was in the Smoky's for the day. The majority of the bears are in the woods feeding on acorns. You might see one in a field or along the road passing between feeding areas. If you spend time there, you are likely to see black bears, but the majority are not located in a spot that makes a nice picture. The bear above was last year's cub. So, it is small.

I visit the Smoky's quite a lot and it is one of my favorite places.